It's not all visual.....Have a little faith in your city!
http://www.collinsvilleillinois.org/nowcommercial.html
Progress brews behind scenes for downtown Collinsville
BY ELIZABETH DONALD
News-Democrat
COLLINSVILLE --A year from now, residents will see a very different downtown, officials say -- and some signs of change are already being seen.
The sounds of blues on Saturday on outdoor stages followed construction crews burying power lines and laying new sidewalks along Main Street. Those changes take place beside empty storefronts, but city officials say those stores won't be empty for long.
"It's hard for the public to perceive, because they don't see anything yet," said downtown coordinator Melissa Leavy.
Take the State Bank building, empty for several years. It's now under renovation by a new owner to turn it into a coffeehouse and banquet hall -- a major change for the biggest empty building on Main Street.
"That's our peak value intersection, and it's good to see redevelopment there," said community developer Paul Mann. "None of it is set in stone, but it's being looked at at this time."
Mann said the combination of downtown events -- the blues festival, summer movie series, concerts on the lawn of the Blum House -- and the regionwide focus on Collinsville over the soccer stadium proposal have led to a resurgence of interest in downtown.
"The soccer stadium has brought a whole new level of interest in Collinsville," he said. "More people are looking at downtown buildings now than ever since I've been here."
The city itself is getting into the act. Months after forming a new downtown commission, the City Council voted to increase the amount of life-safety grants from the tax increment financing fund available, with a $90,000 cap. Downtown owners also can get low-interest loans in addition to grants for improving their buildings.
Leavy said that would help solve the biggest hurdle to bringing businesses downtown: century-old buildings and infrastructure.
"It's not like you're starting with a new building," Leavy said. "Some things have been neglected for decades."
For example, the State Bank building bids just for adding sprinklers came in from $95,000 to $135,000, she said.
"There's a commitment by the city to reinvest in downtown, and this is evidenced by putting more TIF money into life-safety (grants)," Mann said. "That's the only way to get this going. Cosmetic changes are nothing. Our problems are structural problems and fire code problems. ... That's the only way any of these buildings can be rehabbed."
For example, the closed Isle of U building is "substandard," Mann said. "There's mold and structural issues, it's an eyesore and it doesn't help downtown by any stretch. It's problematic."
The streetscape changes helped a lot, Leavy said. "Just getting rid of the utility lines. ... it looks so much better," she said.
But now that there's a focus on downtown and the city is putting money behind it, coupled with Leavy's efforts to create more "destination" events downtown, Mann said a lot is happening behind the scenes.
"You get this synergy going and it infects the whole community," he said. "It's exciting, it really is. Until you see something physical you're wary or speculative, but behind the scenes ... it's a different story."
Among those "behind the scenes" proposals, according to Mann:
• Negotiations are under way to buy the Apex Building next to Friday's South, expanding the restaurant to the next building and add a Greek restaurant, offices and condominiums upstairs.
• Representatives of St. Louis Soccer United are contemplating a satellite office downtown, at least until the soccer project is up and running.
• An Italian bistro has been proposed for the Ostle Pharmacy site.
• A "New Urbanist" lifestyle center, combining retail, office and high-end condos in the vicinity of Combs and Hesperia.
• The long-empty Collinsville Herald Building, will become the site of a microbrewery currently operating on Lindell in St. Louis.
Mark Levy, an attorney who has had an office downtown for four years, has been involved with the new downtown committee and helped organize Saturday's blues festival. He said he's seen a real change in the last year with Collinsville's historically troubled downtown.
"I've seen city government focus on it, finally," he said. "I give the mayor and the administration credit. They're really trying to find ways to reinvigorate downtown. ... They're giving it a genuine effort."
Contact reporter Elizabeth Donald at
edonald@bnd.com or 345-7822, ext. 21.
